Wal-Mart to Offer Health Benefits to Domestic Partners Next Year and 2 Other Dow Movers to Watch

Wal-Mart announced Tuesday it will offer health insurance benefits to domestic partners of its American employees beginning in 2014. The colossal retailer will also offer vision care to its eligible employees and their dependents, said information the retailer sent to employees this week.

Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar said that, ”Since we operate in all 50 states, we thought it was important to develop a single definition for all Wal-Mart associates in the U.S,” Explaining that employees’ domestic partners may be covered if they are legal spouses, not legally separated — or a domestic partner of same or opposite gender in an ongoing, exclusive relationship that is similar to marriage for a minimum of 12 months with the intention to continue sharing a household indefinitely.